Fundraising Continues

Fundraising continues to move forward and God is always good with His timing and provision.  We sit at around 82% and are starting to see things slow down as everyone's summer calendars fill up.  There is still plenty of things in the works and lots of road trips to be completed, so we aren't concerned.  We've seen God do too much at this point to be concerned.

There are some very good things going on around us.  Today is Ezekiel's first birthday and -- while he seems to have a little tummy-ache this morning -- we are looking forward to watching him destroy a birthday cake tonight.  Also, we did accomplish our major goal of a yard sale last weekend -- making some money and liquidating lots of stuff, putting us in a place to be ready to move in August. 

While we aren't "concerned" about our fundraising, on a personal note, I am finding it harder and harder to surrender my anxiety to God.  We have made all of our contacts and are just waiting for call-backs.  Even though I have done all that I can do on my end, it is hard to wait on God and not try to force things (confessions of a control freak).  I went out yesterday and walked on one of my favorite paths.  I sat above Shoshone Falls for a few hours and I prayed for each of our contact households -- our supporters, those considering support, and those we haven't talked to yet -- giving them to God and praying for each of their families and life situations.  It was an incredibly healthy time for me; maybe that can be an encouragement to somebody else.

I'm learning a lot in this process and growing much closer to God through these times.  May you know that you are loved, appreciated, and prayed for.

More on DOC 2011!

First, to all of you who have been wondering where my thoughtful and theological posts are, they're coming.  I hope to be posting some of those thoughts as I get into the swing of ministry on campus and get my "thoughtful juices" flowing.  I may have to dedicate an entirely new blog (maybe just a new page on this one) to those musings.  My main purpose for this blog is to keep all of our supporters updated -- about our ministry, about our family, about our growth as Christ-followers.  We'll see where all the other stuff fits in later, but for now, the things that are cooking on my brain are how much we appreciate each and every one of those who are helping make our dreams a reality.  Simply said: this blog is committed to those who have made a commitment to us.



Now, more about the 2011 Dutch Oven Cookout...



The idea started when a few folks down at the Mustard Seed Thrift Store began thinking that they would love to be able to bless the work of Impact Campus Ministries. Many people weren't in a place where they could join a monthly support team and wondered how they could help everyone be a part of this journey?  So, they came up with an idea where they would throw a big party/cookout where folks could bring their Dutch Ovens, enjoy a hobby, and raise money all at the same time.  Well, that was a great idea, but what it ended up becoming was even better...







 

























As word continued to spread, the idea continued to grow.  A band (thanks Marla, Tony and gang!) agreed to serenade us with wonderful music during the event.  Baskets were created, quilts were made, and donations were given for a raffle.  Over 120 people had signed up to be a part of the event.  The venue (county fairgrounds) was secured.  God blessed us with incredible weather...

































I stood in awe as I watched these master chefs go about their business of "dutch oven-ing".  The end product was an incredible time of fun, family, laughter, prizes, music and, -- of course -- amazing food (my personal favorite: John Gallian's cherry cobbler).


































The whole evening was overwhelming and little numbing for us and our family as we witnessed and heard all of the support from so many that we love and will miss dearly.  We are so thankful for your support and are thrilled to have you on our team.  To everyone who was a part of this electric and lovely event, we thank you (special thanks to Janine Gallian for the pics).

2011 Dutch Oven Cookout!

Here's some video of the amazing 2011 Dutch Oven Cookout yesterday:

And here's some more video taken a little later as the meal kicked off; the response and turnout for this event was truly overwhelming.  We plan to post pictures and do a more thorough write up later about this event.

It was an incredibly fun time.  A big thank you to everyone who came out and was a part of that yesterday.  An even bigger thank you to the guys and gals who made this idea come to life and a true success (Liz/Roger Mandelkow, Maggie/Kelly Lookingbill, Barbara/Lee Urie, Beth/Ted Clarke, Sally/Terry Stigile).   The event raised just under $2,700!!  We bless God for our supporters!

Communication, Celebration, & Commission

Our newsletters have all been sent out!  Hopefully you have received our first update in two different ways.  1)  SNAIL MAIL -- if you didn't receive our newsletter in the mail, that means that we have your mailing address wrong; help us out and let us know what the correct mailing address is!  2)  EMAIL -- we really hope that you all received our newsletter via email, as this is how we will be communicating with almost all of you on a regular basis; again, if you did not receive that email within the last 2-3 weeks, check your "Junk Mail" or "Spam" filters to make sure it didnt get flagged and then let us know that you didn't receive it.  We really want to have your information correct!

We have hit our 75% funded mark and are still slightly ahead of schedule!  Joining us in celebrating God's provision and blessing him for each and every one of you who make this ministry possible!

On May 22nd, Twin Falls Reformed Church commissioned our family to go and bring shalom crashing into our college campuses.  We couldn't have been more blessed by this support and transition as we look toward the future.

We were presented with a huge and magnificent picture on behalf of the TFRC family that was a gorgeous representation of a couple of Old Testament verses.

On behalf of my entire family, we would like to say a warm and hearty, "Thank You" to all of you who have been a part of our lives and blessed us during the last four years.  It has been an honor serving alongside of you and a great privilege to have so many of you as a part of our future.

Our next stop is Salt Lake City where we will be visiting my family and continuing to raise support.  Check out our "Solomon Family News" link where we will be posting some of the latest updates about what's happening with the family.